Woman fined by Dubai court for calling man stupid

A woman who called her friend's former husband stupid has been fined Dh1,000 (£175, $270). The woman, ZF, 40, a Filipina, made the insult while accompanying her friend to a police station. Her friend's former-husband had complained to police that his former wife - who had custody of their child - was late to a scheduled meeting as part of his visitation rights.

"She was awarded custody and he was given visitation rights every Friday," said the woman, who said that on the day of the incident, her friend was busy and running late. "He called police because she was just late," said the woman. "I went with her to Al Qusais police station and when I saw him, I couldn't contain myself and called him stupid."

The former-husband, MF, 34, a sales executive from Egypt who works at a bank, said that as part of the couple's divorce he was granted the right to see his daughter from 6pm to 9pm every Friday. He said he was complaining not because his former-wife, AJ, a Filipina, was late, but because she was not allowing him to see the two-month-old child.

"I was left with no choice but to go to police who called her and ordered her to come to the station so I could see my baby," he said. "The woman was with my former wife and I have never seen her before. I don't know why she insulted me." The Misdemeanours Court fined her Dh1,000 on a charge of issuing insults.